Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-23
srrzt,G TIE sEALERS.
Tire Capture Of Two Nore vessels ny
she Revenuc-CutterE ich.
ar.; Rush.

4 Washington speclal slys' III tno
Government is backward in protecting
Yankee fishermen on the Canadian
coast. there is no question OF Its alacri-
tv in guarding the fur seal monopoly OF
tie Alaska Commercial Company on the
other shore of the Continent. In exc
cutting this latter task, also, its shows
itself no respecter Of persons, its blow
falling alike on lis own citizens and on
foreigners. Last summer the revenue
cutter Corwin seized three British CO.
lumbar vessels, the Thornton, the
Onward, and the Caroline, and two
American vessels, the Sierra and the
San Diego. This year the cutter Rich
aid Rush has seized the American
schooner Challenge, of Seattle, and the
British steamschooncr Annie Beck, OF
Victoria. The former was taken among
the Onekston islands and the latter near
1t. George island.
Two questions ere raised by these
new sei2ures-one being the familiar
dispute as to the rights OF the United
States III Behring's sea, and the other
tina, Of the circumstantial evidence JUS
tiiying seizures Captain Shepard, OF
tbc Rush, seems to nave had much left
to his discretion in the latter plrticu-
lar. as was the case with Captain Abb
boy, Of the Corwin, and Captain Healy,
Of tho Bear. The case against the
Challenge and the Annie Beck was
founded on the fact that they had the
marks Of blood on their decks and the
slHs of seals aboard. 1t was therefore
Inferred thatthey had captured the seals
somewhere in Behring'ssea. The master
of the Challenge protested that he had
obtained all his seals in the open
waters of the Pacific ; but as the ques-
ton OF what the open waters are Is one
of those in dispute, this claim did not
prevent the vessels and crews from be-
ing sent to Sitka for trial. 1t would
therefore appear that there was an
error in the report circulated some
time ago that the instructions given to
the Richard Rush were different from
those given TO the CoIwin, and were
based on the intent To abandon the
theory that the broad waters between
Alaska and Siberia at the points inqucs-
ton form II closed sea.
Meanwhile the powers Granted to the
ALASKA Commercial Company, or as
nucd by it, have been bitterly com
planned OF by the private ship owners
whose vessels have been seized under
section 1856 Of tine Revised Statutes,
which lorbids any ether persons than
The company to kill seals IN the Terri
tory Of ALASKA, "Or in the waters there
Of. II is urged that this company
has practically evaded the terms Of It's
own lease Ivy needlcssly throwing
away the carcasses of hundreds OF
thousands Of killed seals, after having
agreed to pay the Government GER
tam price per gallon for oil obtained
from such seals. 1t Is also accused Of
killing more seals than was cOntem-
plated in It's contract, and OF extending
IFS jurisdiction from the islands of st.
Paul and ST. George over marine area
containing hundreds of thousands Of
square miles. 1t is further complained
OF fer monopoliziug trade privileges
with the natives. to thc detruent OF
general commerce, and OF violating the
iutoTual-rcycuue laws in lis trade with
the Indians. 1t is also charged with
encouraging the indians 10 Kill seals
10y methods which violate the law.
q course the opponents OF this mo-
nopoly make ont Is biacl, "A ease rs Dos
site AGAINST lis proceedings, and ac-
cusc Government Officials OF aidi Z it
III its projects. But there is no doubt
that the manner IN which ssal-killing IS
ncw carried on under Government
leases must one day be revised, and
that international law on the question
Of marine jurisdiction must DC settled
lcNond dispute.